Calvin's Corner

Posts by calvin@parktool.com

The newer style of “Chain Retaining Single Rings” have a clever design specifically for use in drivetrains with only one chainring and a rear derailleur. They use dual-width tooth profiles, alternating between narrow (or “normal,” as if for a double or triple crank...

Wheel truing can be great fun. It provides us chance to focus on something that should be simple, something that bends to our will, so to speak. Get a cup of good coffee, sit yourself in front of a truing stand, and meditate on making a perfect wheel (figure 1).
Figure 1. Some computer ...

The topic of this Calvin's Corner will be the technical support for the 3M Cycling Team. The 3M Corporation is based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. It is, after all, "Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing". The team is here to race the North Star Gran Prix . This is a stage race for roa...

In the bicycle retail business, the slower off-season is the perfect time to do things you've put off during the crazy, busy summer, including a detailed shop inspection. Use this downtime as an opportunity to go through your tools, materials, and equipment to determine what is worn out and ne...

Bicycle drivetrains have been fairly consistent throughout our velo-history. Our feet push on some sort of crank, rotating a ring of some sort to drive a chain (or belt), which then turns a wheel. But the details between our feet and where the rubber meets the road have been changing. This art...

We live in a world of hot and cold, so we might as well put them to use. When you get out of your comfort zone, say, for example, into deep space, you might truly get to experience extreme temperature ranges. Cold so cold that gases become liquids, and hots so hot that metals run like water, o...

The new Park Tool factory is big. So big it feels like it takes forever to walk from one end to the other. Just the factory is 200 x 300 feet. You have to walk down aisles of production, packaging, welding, then shipping before you get where you want to go.
So with a huge new building, wha...

"This year's USA National Cyclocross Championship promises to be epic!!"-Anonymous Elite Racer.
That might be one way of putting it, because what we are going to be talking about here is a bike race with people wearing spandex, in Madison, Wisconsin, in the middle of Janu...

"Free Bikes 4 Kids" is a non-profit organization based in the Twin Cites area of Minnesota.
The concept of Free Bikes For Kids is to provide a bike (and a helmet) to a kid who would otherwise not get a bike. Bikes are donated at drop off locations, and what a collection of bikes ...

A sound working knowledge of tool use is the basis of being a mechanic. Developing good working habits will result in better, more consistent repairs, and in longer lasting tools. This article provides a short review of the proper use of some basic tools.
Hammers (HMR-4)
Hold the handle ...

This article will review repairs we can do while we are out and about on a bike. There are, of course, many possible issues and problems that can and do occasionally occur when we are riding. Here, we will consider the what to bring, the pre-ride inspection and six broad categories: Flat Tires, W...

It has been 22 years since the Clark-Kent mountain bike was new (seen below, on the left). The time has come for an updated, contemporary machine, which in this case will be a Salsa Spearfish (on the right, still mud-free). At first glance you might think these bikes are for two different custome...

Springtime is nigh upon us, the time when a true cyclist's heart turns to... what else...bicycle maintenance. With attention from you, plus some elbow grease, your early season rides will be coming up roses.
So, just what occurs during those long winter months while your steed waits patiently, l...

If you have been trying to set up your dream ride with the new revolutionary electronic shifting systems, such as the Campagnolo® EPS™, or perhaps the Shimano® Di2™, but somehow it is just not working out for you, then perhaps you should look, not to the future, but to the p...

Cycling has many facets, but for me cyclo-cross stands out as a shining gem. Perhaps a muddy and gritty gem, but precious nonetheless. What appeals to me about this great racing is the required combination of speed (from the road posture and road style bikes), the requisite toughness from the pou...

Each year since 1987, I have taught at the Bill Woodul Race Mechanics Clinic, hosted by USA Cycling. Bill was a former USAC Equipment manager. We lost Bill to cancer in1996, but it was this man who created the clinic as a place to share experiece and knowledge with newer mechanics.
Teaching at ...

This article reviews the installation and adjustment of the NuVinci™ N360® CVP rear hub and shifting system. The order of procedures to follow will vary depending upon whether you are installing a new system or servicing a previously install hub. This article describes:
Shift...

Cycle Speedway is a type of bicycle racing that is not well known in the USA. It is an international sport, but Speedway creation stories all stem back to the United Kingdom. It consists of relatively short anaerobic races at outdoor facilities built for the purpose. The cinder track is absolutel...